Nice to know you're never too old not to learn your lesson. When it was announced that the producers of Lost were going to try and take the show to another level by creating various tie-ins, it seemed possible that such innovative folk would come up with something really new and interesting. In particular, there seemed reason to hope that they'd develop the mythos of the show in these other media. But, based on the evidence of this novel at least, they're going to be satisfied to offer little more than the kind of novelization that have been part and parcel of television for decades. I mean, when we were kids I had a Rat Patrol lunchbox -- until I broke the Thermos by trying to bring Coke to school -- and still have a couple of the books around here somewhere. Meanwhile, Planet of the Apes not only went from big screen to small but also spun off trading cards, comic books, G.I Joe-style figurines, etc. There's just nothing new about these synergies. So, it would be nice if, in this case, the tie-ins were to match the hype. And while Ms Hapka's tale is an entirely competent and workmanlike riff on the basic format of the show -- featuring a new character who flashes back to an unusually complex pre-crash past -- there's just too little connection to the characters we've actually come to know and like on the show every week or to the odd doings of the island itself. It'll likely satisfy fanatics but doesn't add much to the experience of the show for us casual fans.